Company SOP may or may not encourage hand flying when appropriate. The fact remains there are airline pilots so wedded to the automatics, that they have become apprehensive (scared fartless) or possibly plain lazy, of hand flying; apart from the take off and touch down. Once these personalities are promoted (as they somehow inevitably are) into check pilot positions, some become quite paranoid and insist that the automatics must be used at all times.
Recently there was the case where a check pilot acting as an F/O criticised the captain for hand flying the departure to 15,000 ft where the autopilot was engaged. The captain explained that the weather was fine, there were no pressing ATC requirements and that he simply enjoyed keeping his hand in on hand flying. The check captain disagreed, saying the company policy was all automatics from 500 ft after take off.
In fact, there was no such company policy. It was the check captain's personal policy. And these types are out there in every airline. So, it is not always a "company" policy where hand flying is discouraged, but more often a personal preference of the pilot in command. The unfortunate first officer then becomes a captive audience to the other chap's irrationality
Last edited by Centaurus; 18th Oct 2013 at 01:35.